The New Frontier Begins

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Kevin A. Thompson • 1 Comment

And so it begins… ICANN is delegating its first new domains under its expansion of the gTLD system. Admittedly, these domains are in foreign languages, but that does not diminish the changing nature of these domains upon the landscape.

The four strings delegated are:
– شبكة (xn--ngbc5azd) – Arabic for “web/network”
Registry: International Domain Registry Pty. Ltd.
– онлайн (xn--80asehdb) – Cyrillic for “online”
Registry: CORE Association
– сайт (xn--80aswg) – Cyrillic for “site”
Registry: CORE Association
– 游戏(xn--unup4y) – Chinese for “game(s)”
Registry: Spring Fields, LLC

More of these domains will be coming online soon, and so trademark owners who want to protect their marks in the new domains will want to register with the Trademark Clearinghouse in order to be first in line for these new domains.

Filed Under: Domain Names, gTLDs, Internet Governance

Trademark Clearinghouse, ReDigi, and More First Sale Doctrine Issues

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Kevin A. Thompson • 1 Comment

Here’s a link to my post on the firm’s blog about the new Trademark Clearinghouse that is coming online for use with the new top level domains: http://blog.davismcgrath.com/2013/04/05/using-the-trademark-clearinghouse-for-the-new-gtlds/

I’ve been meaning to write my own post regarding the ReDigi case, but in the meantime here are links to two good ones by Venkat Balasubramani and James Grimmelmann.

Another recent case dealing with the First Sale Doctrine was the recent Kirtsaeng Supreme Court decision. Here’s the SCOTUSblog page on the case.

Filed Under: Cases, First Sale Doctrine, Internet Governance

Slides from CBA Presentation on COPPA

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Kevin A. Thompson • 0 Comments

Here are my slides from today’s presentation to the Chicago Bar Association’s Cyberlaw and Data Privacy Committee on the amendments effective July 1, 2013 to the FTC’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Slides – Thompson – COPPA Update [PDF] The FTC’s Final Rule can be found here- FTC Final Amended COPPA Rule [PDF] For more… Continue Reading

Filed Under: COPPA, Internet Governance, Speaking

TWIL 194 – “When Laws Get Weird”

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Kevin A. Thompson • 0 Comments

I was pleased to be a guest on This Week In Law last week, Episode #194, entitled “When Laws Get Weird.” Special thanks to Denise Howell, Evan Brown, and Lisa Borodkin for a great discussion on Aaron Swartz, Internet defamation, editorial independence, and more.

Filed Under: Copyright, DMCA, Speaking, Trademarks, Video

Webinar Recordings

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Kevin A. Thompson • 0 Comments

Here are some recent webinar recordings that I’ve done for my firm’s IP Webinar series that should be of interest to most of you: Trademarks and the Likelihood of Confusion IP Rights Enforcement in Social Media Photographers and Copyright The Right of Publicity

Filed Under: Copyright, Speaking, Trademarks, Video

Online Defamation Webinar Recording

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Kevin A. Thompson • 0 Comments

Here is the recording of my September 5, 2012 webinar on Online Defamation as part of my firm’s IP Webinar series. Illinois MCLE credit is available for viewing the recording.

Filed Under: Defamation, Video

The Internet Defense League is Forming

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Kevin A. Thompson • 1 Comment

It is with some interest that I am watching the development of a movement to better mobilize the Internet (like those who defeated SOPA and PIPA) – the Internet Defense League. I’ve signed up as a member myself, but I have currently declined to let them use my blog as a place to display alerts… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Internet Governance, Musings

New gTLD Webinar Recording

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Kevin A. Thompson • 0 Comments

Here is the recording on YouTube of my July 11, 2012 webinar on the new Top Level Internet Domains (gTLDs): For more information on my firm’s webinar series, click here.

Filed Under: gTLDs, Internet Governance, Trademarks, Video

New gTLDs Revealed

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Kevin A. Thompson • 0 Comments

Yesterday, ICANN finally released the list of the gTLDs that have been applied for. We knew there would be a lot, but the final number is 1,930! Now begins the 60-day comment and 7 month opposition processes. They will be processed in batches. If no objections are filed, the first set of domains could go… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Internet Governance, Trademarks

Blawg Review #322

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Kevin A. Thompson • 2 Comments

CRACK… By striking my bone gavel, I call this special Blawg Review meeting of the Skull and Bones Society to order. Ever since the passing of Demosthenes in the year 322, and since the founding of our Society here at Yale in 1832, we honor eloquence. So, today, it is altogether fitting and proper that… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blawg Review